RELATED NEWS

Vietnamese inspectors have found a range of violations at the Social Support Center in Nghe An Province, including embezzlement of funds and mistreatment of mental health patients.

The inspection was launched after one of the regular donors to the center, which also serves as a rest home for elderly persons, criticized the managers for a lack of proper care and attention.

Dam Thi Lan Anh, who has been donating since 2002, said that in her recent visits she found many patients here lived in dirty conditions and were not given enough food and clothes.

Many people died because of the mistreatment, she claimed.

Inspectors then found that mental health patients and elderly people were not taken good care of. They also found that several managers had embezzled nearly VND780 million (US$35,853) of funds since 2011.

The managers inflated food prices and bought less than the minimum amount required. They also did not provide clothes and other necessities.

Anh said she herself has donated food, clothes and furniture over the years.

After learning that some of the managers might have been stealing money meant for the patients and the elderly, she repeatedly complained to the center but to no avail.

Then, she decided to report the case to provincial authorities and published some pictures on social media.

Inspectors said they will send the inspection results to the provincial government soon.